Alone in the darkness
by Blackrose2
Summary: Will he be alone in the darkness or will his teammates be there to help him ?
1. Reflections in the twilight

1 Hello ! Yeah ! My first creepy/supernatural whatever ficcie ! I'm not sure about how this fic will go yet , but I'm hoping it will be received nicely and earn me a decent name in fic writing ! The problem with me is , once I lose my inspiration , I normally never get it back , so let's just hope I get to finish this little baby before I forget what it's all about . _ .  
  
2  
  
3 Anyway , STANDARD DISCLAIMERS APPLY !!! Yadda yadda yadda ! Don't sue me k ?  
  
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5 I'm testing this writing style . I hope it will be more decent than my other pathetic fics . ^_^ I hope it works . R & R please ! ^.^  
  
6 Blackrose  
  
7 + + +  
  
8  
  
9 Alone in the darkness  
  
  
  
Aya couldn't sleep . He normally couldn't after missions and tonight was no exception . He glanced at the blinking lights of the digital clock on his bedside table , noting with annoyance the ungodly hour . 3 : 30 a.m.  
  
Damn .  
  
He looked out silently back to the pale face of the moon , marveling at the fair silver beams dancing gracefully into his dark room .  
  
" Che ." he muttered in frustration . He hated staying out late because it meant he was going to regret it in the morning when the early rush of customers barge into the flowershop , he just had to deal with them ne ?  
  
He stepped back into the shadows and sank down onto the carpet , taking in all the sensations he felt at once . The softness of the carpet , the cold caress of the autumn breeze – everything he felt at that moment . He was enveloped in complete silence and he felt tranquil …  
  
Aya stood up slowly . He heard a muffled thud and the sound of padded feet coming from Ken's room . It looked like the brunette had woken up again in the middle of the night with troubled dreams . Aya was used to it . Ken always woke up at ludicrous hours particularly after missions , like tonight . Aya sat down on the edge of his bed and smoothed down his bedcovers as he listened to the sounds dying down , until only the faint chirping of crickets could be heard .  
  
Poor Ken … He thought as he waited for sunrise .  
  
+ + +  
  
Yohji scowled . " How come Ken gets to stay in bed until 10:00 while the rest of us has to wake up at 7:00 in the bloody morning ?!" He hollered . Omi could tell that the older blond was in appalling mood as he wont to be in the morning but he was more so this morning ; challenging every detail – every little action anyone made . He was in fact , severe even with the ladies inside the shop . Omi sighed . Thank god there were no more customers in the shop or Yohji-kun would permanently drive them away .  
  
Yohji-kun was already starting to be a handful , but he himself was curious why Aya-kun had allowed Ken-kun to sleep late .  
  
" Aya-kun … I hope you don't mind my asking ; but why did you let Ken-kun sleep until late today ?" Omi lowered his eyes in case Aya started shouting but nothing came , instead Aya glanced at Omi and said " He hasn't been sleeping  
  
well the past few nights ."  
  
Aya's gaze was noncommittal , clouded and hazy . Omi couldn't read anything from Aya's eyes . Aya turned back to the flowers he had been watering .  
  
" Yohji , since you're so intent on waking him up , go ahead and wake him ." There were no further words from their leader and Yohji submissively trudged away to awaken their teammate without a murmur .  
  
Omi studied the redhead from the corner of his eye . His actions were quite unusual , he rarely gave damn about what the hell was the problem , just as long as they were around in time for missions and shifts , but recently , he seemed to have taken particular interest to Ken-kun's well being .  
  
But he must admit to himself , Ken-kun was indeed acting quite off lately . He was jumpy and nervous , especially around people . He had started withhold from his meals and his tan complexion faded into a paleness comparable to Aya . Most of all , he refused to go out under the sun to play with his soccer kids and instead insists on staying indoors whenever the sun was out . Yes , Ken-kun needed all the attention he could get . Omi confirmed to himself .  
  
As if sensing someone's gaze on him , Aya turned and glared at Omi who , discomfited , avoided the violet-eyed stare . " Ano Aya-kun …"  
  
" What ?!" The irate reply almost discouraged the younger boy , but out of his concern for Ken , Omi continued .  
  
" Have you noticed anything different about Ken-kun these past few days ?" Omi fiddled with the geraniums he was trimming . He stole a brief glance at Aya before turning his attention back to the plant as he waited for his reply . There was a period of long silence .  
  
They could both hear Yohji rapping sharply on Ken's bedroom door , calling his name .  
  
  
  
Omi was jolted out of his thoughts when Aya spoke a few moments later . " I have ."  
  
" You have ?"  
  
" Yes , something's wrong with him . I'm not sure if he's stable enough to keep in the team , but we have to make sure that he's alright before we do anything we might regret ."  
  
Omi gulped . " What do you mean ?"  
  
" The moment Persia finds out that we have the slightest notion that Ken is delusional , he will not have second thoughts about removing him from the team ; taking this further , Persia is not one who allows risks … he has to do something to keep Ken from divulging information of Kritiker's operations . He might take him out permanently – and he might even ask the rest of us to do it for him ."  
  
Omi gaped at Aya in petrified silence . Once the weight of Aya's words settled in , he exploded to tears ; screaming in uncontrollable terror . He stepped towards Aya blindly and collapsed into the redhead's comforting arms . " No !" he sobbed . He pounded his clenched fist onto Aya's chest . " Nonononono …" he moaned .  
  
" Do you believe that Ken is mad ?" Aya asked gently after letting  
  
" No . I don't . I don't . I don't ." Omi cried into Aya's tear-soaked shirt .  
  
" Then let's just keep this to ourselves ne ?" Omi tearfully looked up at Aya , who was looking at him kindly . It was one of the rare times he had seen Aya like this , and he was glad Aya cared enough to even disobey Kritiker .  
  
" Let's close shop until 12:30 ." Aya proposed , turning around the Welcome sign and pulling down the shutters .  
  
Just then they heard a shout from Yohji .  
  
+ + +  
  
" Aya ! Omi ! Damn ! Come over here !" A series of vulgar expletives filled the air , and Omi recognized a note of panic in the older man's voice . Aya was on the landing in a few moments with Omi trailing close behind . 


	2. Obscurity

1 Alone in the darkness  
  
I hope you liked the prologue . It was the best I could do with a couple of hours so I'm not really sure if you guys would like it . Where were we ? O yeah ! The scene with Yohji .  
  
  
  
Ken's room was dark .  
  
Just three days before , he had bought some heavy curtains from a shop downtown and installed it in his room . Thin beams of gold sunlight peeked from the occasional crevices whenever the curtains billowed .  
  
" Goddamn it !" Yohji's voice was thickly laced with panic as kneeled down beside an unconscious Ken . He proceeded to grab his shades and fling them onto the floor as he started to pick Ken up . Out of the blue , Aya shoved him away  
  
" Damn it Kudo ! You're not even sure what injury he has , you might aggravate it !" Aya kneeled down and examined Ken's blood-caked clothes .  
  
Ken was still in his assassin attire , in ripped jeans and shirt . His torn jacket was half off on the other arm and he was still wearing his boots . His gloves were strewn carelessly on the floor .  
  
It looked like he was too exhausted last night to do anything else but sleep, but why did he look like he was mauled by a wild animal ? Omi shivered . He abhorred the sight of an injured Ken and he fervently hoped he never had to see any of them in that same state again .  
  
" Was he injured in last night's mission ?!" Aya asked darkly . Omi and Yohji shook their head . Carefully he started to rip apart Ken's shirt , searching for any telltale signs of wounds but his skin remained unmarred . " Are you sure ?" He pressed further .  
  
" I'm positive ." Omi replied . " I was his backup . I followed his every move . Everything went according to plan ." Omi said with conviction , holding Ken's limp hand in his . " Aya-kun , we should bring him to the hospital ." He stared pleadingly at their leader , hoping that the older man will consider the thought .  
  
Aya stopped , his attention caught by the violent , motion of the drapes . " The balcony doors are open ." He said quietly . " Someone's been here ."  
  
Yohji stood and started for the balcony but Aya gripped his wrist as he stood up . " Let's worry about that later , get your car ready – we're going to the hospital ."  
  
Omi sighed in relief . He had thought that Aya would be stubborn and refuse to bring Ken to the hospital , especially since there were no marks , but it seemed Aya had decided otherwise .  
  
With a nod , Yohji dashed off to retrieve his car .  
  
" Omi , close the shop . We'll wait for you in Yohji's car ." Aya's voice was as calm as ever - he was starting to scare Omi . Omi clutched Ken's glove in his right hand as he scurried downstairs . He hoped to god that nothing was wrong with Ken-kun …  
  
+ + +  
  
Aya hefted Ken up in his arms and cautiously made his way downstairs . Ken was light . Incredibly so ; and Aya had no trouble carrying him to Yohji's blue sports car where the blond man waited . Carefully , he laid Ken on the backseat and took a seat on the passenger side .  
  
It wasn't long before Omi arrived and they sped off towards the direction of the Magicbus Hospital .  
  
Ei ! The first official chapter is finished ! Yeah ! I know , I know , this one's really short . Only more or less a page . I'll try to make it longer next time I post ! ^.^ R&R pls ! That's the only way I would know whether or not I should continue them . ^^; thanx ! 


	3. Different

1 Alone in the darkness  
  
Welcome to chapter 3 of my insanity ! ^.^ How do you like it so far ?  
  
There are parts written in a particular character's point of view . I think this chapter's going to be a little long . ^^; Is that a good thing or a bad thing I wonder ?  
  
* *____* * means Ken's thoughts  
  
while  
  
~~____~~ indicates another character's thoughts  
  
Ken :  
  
" Chirp ! Chirp !" The twittering of hundreds of birds … no thousands , reverberated through my brain as I roused from an uncomfortable , nightmarish slumber . They collective sound threatened to shatter my eardrums ; to tear every single fiber of my body apart … and then , the unbearable pain sank in , in pace with every chirp , thousands of needles seemed to claw every nerve end , every pore until every breathing cell of me felt like on fire .  
  
I lay there for several moments , not having enough energy to even attempt to open my eyelids ; even the circulating air caused me so much distress .  
  
It seemed like hours , centuries before the twittering had passed and gave way to the less paining sound of human voices … it was comforting to hear the all-too familiar voice of Aya . The deep timbre of his voice reminded me that there were still people who existed amidst this agonizing pain . My friends are here.  
  
+ + +  
  
Ken :  
  
" Mr. Fujimiya – please understand …"  
  
Mr. Fujimiya ? That seemed unbecoming to me … I never thought of Aya as Mr. Fujimiya , it was always Aya – just Aya .  
  
+ + +  
  
" This is the first time we've ever encountered this . I doubt that it has even any record in the medical books so you can't exactly blame us . Frankly , we don't know what to do !"  
  
Aya stared at the plump doctor , noting how the partially bald head shone in the glaring hospital lights , how he fidgeted with the tail of his coat , the way he bit on his lip , and decided whether or not he would have the will to stop himself from smashing his nose .  
  
He clenched his jaw and said , " So you're saying that he is without any damage yet he has lost a large amount of blood ?"  
  
" I didn't say he didn't have any wounds , in fact , he had only four puncture holes , two to each side of his neck and several scratches on his wrist and abdomen ."  
  
" Prior to that , nothing else is apparent ." Aya pressed .  
  
" As I have said , there is something peculiar happening to him …" the doctor paused , as if undecided whether or not to reveal the precious piece of information , but needless to say , Aya stared him down into relenting . " His eye color changes ! Not his eyes exactly , but his pupils … they dilate once in a while and then just – poof ! From green , to blue , to gray … brown … hell , once even red!" The doctor himself seemed to disbelieve what he was saying and he glanced at Aya to see if patient's friend believed him .  
  
" What else ?" Aya's expression was placid , but the tone of his voice suggested otherwise . The doctor was starting to feel really nervous .  
  
Well … there have been minute changes in his body structure , not that it's entirely impossible , it's just – peculiar . Also , his body temperature is way below normal … 32 degrees ! Unbelievable !"  
  
Aya remained silent. All the bald man had said seemed hard to digest, and he still wasn't sure if the doctor was bluffing or otherwise . " Where is he?"  
  
" He's asleep right now under heavy sedation , and there are a few doctors still examining him . I suggest that you come back and see him tomorrow , after all , there is no threat to his life ." The man paused to gather his breath .  
  
" Where – is – he ?" Aya's words were short and measured and succeeded in intimidating the terrified doctor even more . I could almost hear the doctor's heart pounding and I sympathized with the poor man , but Aya was Aya .  
  
" Y-yes , this way please ."  
  
" What is your name again Doctor - ?" Aya asked , quite annoyed with himself for forgetting such an important piece of information .  
  
" Mitaro Kamotsu of the Tokyo Doctors Association we –"  
  
" Yes , yes , thank you ." Aya interrupted impatiently . " Have you asked for a second opinion ? A colleague ? A fellow doctor ?" Aya watched his companion closely .  
  
" As a matter of fact yes . But she will arrive here tomorrow . She is a very busy woman , one of the best doctors in the world in fact , but she volunteered to come over and examine him . She's quite interested in your friend's case when I spoke to her over the phone . You see, she's famous for the discovery of a number of unusual cases . She's a friend of the head of this hospital actually , which was why she found about this so quickly ." Dr. Kamotsu gave an embarrassed grin as he navigated Aya through the brightly lit corridors of the hospital .  
  
+ + +  
  
Ken :  
  
It was few minutes later before the door creaked open , and a nervous voice started to say , " Please , Mr. Fujimiya needs to spend time with the patient ." Ah , the doctor is here . " Yes , sir ." the whispered chorus of voices replied , and the sound of people exiting the room followed . I wasn't aware that there were people in the room . Besides the chirping of the birds , nothing interrupted the silence except a soft humming , the vibration of the air ; nothing else .  
  
" I apologize for the intrusion , but we had to have your friend examined . We never know what infectious disease he might have ." The doctor's name is Kamotsu … how the hell did that name come up ; I don't know , but I'm guessing that I'm right .  
  
" Like I said , he's still unconscious ."  
  
**Unconscious ? I'm wide awake from crying out loud !? I just can't peel my damned eyes open ! **  
  
I heard the high-pitched creaking of metal against the linoleum floor , I could feel Aya beside me , I could feel his presence . He was looking at me with those violet eyes of his trained on my face . " Ken ?" His voice was tentative , almost unsure of himself . " It's Aya ."  
  
" You won't get anything from him I tell you , he' heavily sedated ."  
  
" Ken ?" He asked again , ignoring the protest of the Dr. Kamotsu .  
  
I could feel him looking at me ! Aya was looking at me ! I could see myself lying down on the bed and I could see Aya , dressed in a black shirt and jeans sitting rigidly on a metal chair .  
  
**What the hell is happening to me ?!**  
  
He reached for my arm , I felt the heat of his arm burning against my skin , like a bed of hot coals threatening to spark me ablaze . Suddenly , he let go of my arm with a stifled curse and stared at me in shock .  
  
" What is it ?" Dr. Kamotsu stepped forward , looking slightly concerned .  
  
" He's freezing cold ."  
  
A shrug from the older man . " What'd I say ?" I watched as he took a stethoscope dangling from his neck and placed it on my chest , moving it slowly and methodically . " His heart beats once every four seconds . Nothing like it ."  
  
Aya sat there , engrossed in his own thoughts . ~~ Damn it Ken ! ~~ I heard him curse . Aloud ? I have no idea .  
  
" Do you still want to see ?"  
  
Aya nodded .  
  
** See what ?**  
  
The bald-headed man pulled a small penlight from out of his pocket and fingers , pried my eyes open . I couldn't really see everything because they were quite far from me – wherever I was … but I saw Aya recoil in shock .  
  
" This is impossible …" Aya's voice was a whisper . " This can't be happening !"  
  
" It is happening ."  
  
I couldn't see anything anymore , I just felt the sensation of light- headedness as the overwhelming pain washed over me like a crimson tide . I heard gasping and then , there was nothing .  
  
+ + +  
  
" What are we going to do now ?" Omi was worried , he never imagined in his wildest dreams that anything vaguely like this could ever happen , but here it was , and to Ken-kun of all people !  
  
~~ Ken-kun … ~~  
  
+ + +  
  
Yohji :  
  
Ken was still unconscious , or asleep , depending from what point of view you would look at it . He's been that way since yesterday . 32 hours have passed since we found him lying on the floor of his room , looking so still …  
  
I took one last drag on my cigarette before stubbing the butt on a crystal ashtray resting atop the armrest . Ken had bought it for me as a birthday gift . Now that I recall , it's easy to laugh at his naivety .  
  
Originally, he had bought me a pair of slippers from downtown Tokyo. That particular pair of slippers had drawings of soccer balls all over it , which was probably the number one reason why he bought it . He also gave me a matching black shirt with the words " RealMadrid " written on it . I of course , had no idea what or who RealMadrid is , and that shirt earned a spot in my sock drawer - Not that I didn't appreciate his present ; I did , it's just - not my style .  
  
Figures , only Ken could carry such a ridiculous shirt decently . If the ladies saw me in such an outfit , I probably would never snag a date for the next ten years …  
  
It was Omi who had strong-armed him into buying something I would " vaguely appreciate " , as the kid put it so bluntly . I could just imagine Ken pout at that . Really , sometimes I would think he's younger than Omi with that kind of attitude going on .  
  
I looked around the dark basement , remembering everything that happened in this room . It's funny how you realize a person's importance when something threatens to take them away, every little thing takes a special meaning . I remember how Ken would just lounge on that huge beanbag of his , tossing popcorn into his mouth as he watched a soccer game on cable t.v. . His constant presence in front of the tube never failed to extort a snide comment from Aya , but a good-natured grin would make the snowman shut up . Ken always succeeded in disarming the cold-blooded reptile before he could do any serious harm .  
  
Hmmph . Damn it all , what the hell is going on ?  
  
+ + +  
  
Sayuri Akagi smiled at Dr. Kamotsu displaying an array of impeccable white teeth . " Good morning Dr. Kamotsu !"  
  
" Good morning ! Ah, you're here early ! We weren't expecting you until late ."  
  
" I'm sorry , am I in your way ?"  
  
The stout doctor flushed as he shook his head , quite charmed by the beautiful woman before him . " No ! I mean – no , not at all . It's a pleasant surprise actually . Have you eaten yet ?"  
  
" Yes , thank you . Now if you don't mind , I would like to see the patient ." Dr. Akagi nodded her head once , her gestures crisp and confident , but exuding a genteel kindness . One could not help but like her .  
  
" Yes , yes of course ."  
  
Yay ! Finished another chapter ! ^^; I'm so happy with this one , I don't know why.  
  
It's actually fun to do ! I wanna start another chapter right away ^-^ . Oh well , thanks for all the good reviews I've received ! I hope to get lots more as the story continues …  
  
Are you starting to be weirded out ? I dunno where the eye thingy came from , it's just seemed cool to me . Definitely , I'm still debating whether or not to put an OC in the next chapter but we'll see … till tomorrow ! 


	4. Stolen

Alone in the darkness  
  
Hello to everyone who is reading this . First I'd like to start off by thanking all the people who have reviewed the previous chapters !!! ~* Huggles everyone *~ Though you may not be many , rest assured that your reviews are much appreciated . For the time being , I'm still debating whether or not this chapter is going to work , especially since I've no idea how the hospitals work . I certainly am not well versed in medical lingo so please try to bear with what little knowledge I have . Thank God , I have never had a reason to be hospitalized and although a family member was once checked in to a hospital , I was too distraught to pay attention to what the doctors and nurses were doing or saying . So please bear with me ...  
  
( .'')  
  
Anyway , on with the show ! (*and remember , all the characters belong to Project WeiB and other lucky people, all except for those OC's that will pop up once and a while ; and , oh yes , I have no intention of pairing up WeiB with an OC . Truth to be told , I am rather tired with that kind of storyline … no disrespect to the other authors , that kind of storyline by my hand, I mean *)  
  
(* Oh , and another thing , the comment about Ken really changing eye colour in the series , yeah , I kinda noticed that one too so I decided to put it in the fic , only recently did I realize that it was unexpectedly appropriate with what I had in mind . And so , not wishing to hinder you further with my *little?* note , I write . ^.^ *)  
  
  
  
+ + +  
  
Dr. Akagi was an expert in her field . She had finished medicine at the age of 23 and rose to the top as one of the best medical practitioners all over the world . She developed cures for newly developed diseases or viruses and has traveled every corner of the world . She has seen practically every disease know to man and has discovered several previously undisclosed viruses . All these she has accomplished at the age of 30 .  
  
She felt a little nervous actually , she admitted to herself as she entered the room , flanked by the short doctor . She had no idea what to expect whatsoever . A small nod from the male doctor and two nurses who had dutifully stood guard over the unconscious patient went out of the room to be summoned later . Dr. Akagi shot a veiled glance at the other doctor before she walked towards the immobile figure resting on the bed .  
  
There weren't a lot of tubes attached to his person , as normally was the case for patients confined to the ICU , but he was a special case . The chief of the hospital had yet to be convinced to send the patient to the isolation area because he still had a fraction of a doubt whether all the doctors' testimonies are true , but Dr. Kamotsu intended to do something about it at that moment .  
  
" Dr. Akagi , I would like to excuse myself . I need to talk to the powers above about wheeling him to isolation , they certainly did not allow me the first time , but now that you're here , perhaps we could convince them to concur ."  
  
Dr. Akagi nodded once and the older man left the room silently then she turned to the young man before her to examine the abnormality she had heard so much about .  
  
+ + +  
  
Right now , she was puzzled , no , scratch that , she was baffled . Never had she seen anything vaguely like this !  
  
It was truly perplexing , what was happening to the young man before her , but despite the resurfacing challenge of a new cure yet to be discovered , she could not bring herself to believe that all this was coming from some sort of sickness . Certainly there was nothing comparable to this in the medical books , nor in anywhere else , and even the extremest diseases do not bring about this types of symptoms .  
  
She studied the file on the patient and wondered how his family was handling this . Certainly most people would have gone mad , just seeing their loved ones turned into some kind of human experiment but it could not be helped at all . Truth to be told , she would have preferred it if the hospital had ordered isolation for this particular patient – she just had to do something about it later then .  
  
His name was Ken Hidaka . 18 years old : her clipboard read . His name was vaguely familiar , though she could not pinpoint from where …  
  
She stared at him thoughtfully . He was a teenager with boyish good looks and chestnut hair . He was tall, but not too much also , with finely toned muscles it led her to believe that he was an athlete but his complexion seemed to attest against it . He was extremely pale , as if he had not seen the sun in ages …  
  
She suddenly felt a shiver down her spine and turned to look around, but no one was there . Nobody had entered .  
  
She glanced down at the log on her clipboard for the past day .  
  
Day 1 : September 18 , 2001  
  
11:51:14 P.M. - Temperature : 35 C.  
  
Heart rate : Normal  
  
Blood pressure : 90/60 mm HG  
  
12:45:27 P.M. - Temperature : 34.6 C.  
  
Heart rate : 1x every 3 seconds  
  
Blood pressure : 70/50 mm HG  
  
A groan from the patient alerted the doctor and she was at his side in an instant . " Good morning Mr. Hidaka ! How are you feeling ?"  
  
" Like hell ." came the groggy reply . Dr. Akagi grinned at that . Now she was sure the young man had a sense of humor ; which made her all the more regretful to meet him under the present circumstances .  
  
" Well , we can't help that can we ? Are you hungry ? I'm going to order food for you , just a moment please." She called the nurses' station and asked for breakfast to be brought to Room 108 .  
  
" Well Mr. Hidaka , I hear that you have been asleep for the past 51 hours , under sedation of course . I'm Doctor Akagi , I'm the medical specialist who is in charge of you ." She offered him a sympathetic smile . " It seems that you have an unknown illness Mr. Hidaka –"  
  
" Ken , please … and … I know that ."  
  
" Well because of the records I have in my hands , I'm all the more eager to examine you , now shall we or would you prefer to have your breakfast first ?"  
  
" I'd sooner get this over with although , I am rather hungry ." he admitted . Dr. Akagi found it peculiar that he would not look at her , in fact , he still had his eyes closed and yet there he was " looking " in her direction .  
  
" Very well then , but first , I'd like to ask a few questions before we begin ."  
  
" All right ."  
  
" What are you feeling right now ?" Dr. Akagi had her hand poised to jot down the information .  
  
" Pain … like somebody's torching my skin … a have a pounding headache ." He rested his head on the propped up pillow tiredly .  
  
+ + +  
  
Omi was frazzled . He was really worried about his teammates , especially Ken-kun of course . Ken-kun had been in the hospital for nearly three days now and the doctors still had no idea about what his illness might be ; or perhaps , they did not care to let on what they knew . Actually , they had been contacted only twice by the hospital , and on both occasions , it was Aya took the responsibility . The redhead refused to talk about it however , despite Yohji's heated strong-arming or Omi's worried supplications . If only they had the time , or the authorization from Manx , who had commanded them to remain in the shop , they would have been at the hospital at all times , but none of them had a choice . Later, Omi decided to himself , he would hack the hospital's mainframe and squeeze whatever information they had about Ken , but until then , he had to keep his fellow WeiB ( or at least one of them ) in tow .  
  
+ + +  
  
The Creature watched silently as the brown-haired boy slept peacefully , waiting for the right time … yes , the right time . In two days , it was going to be a fully moon . A full millennium after his death . The creature would watch until that day came . Yes , at last she has found him once more after a thousand years of searching .  
  
+ + +  
  
  
  
Ah yes , too short right ? Well , I just have something to do about that . I'm sorry if it took me eons to post , I was just kinda busy lately . I wanted to post earlier , I promise … ^.^ Oh well … Oh , and to compensate for the waiting , I'm going to post the next chapter today ! I already have handwritten and all it needs is typing and re-editing . Squash me if you don't get it today ! ^_^ There you go . I'm going to type it up now ! 


	5. Mission

I guess I just have to make this chapter a little longer right ?! I'm sorry if it took me a while to post , I just hope you haven't stopped liking my ficcie … ^.^ please ? Oh well , anyway … I should start , ne ? ^_^  
  
  
  
The remaining WeiB were gearing up for battle . It was admittedly an impromptu mission ; far from what they had been used to , but Persia had stressed the importance of this particular one . It did not involve anything they often dealt with . It was rather uncommon actually , compared to what they considered was the norm . It seemed fairly easy , if they dared say it , but of course , no one could ever be sure because about a million things could go horribly wrong in a mission .  
  
Manx had come by earlier , right before the opening of the Koneko and handed them what little information they were willing to divulge and the usual tape . She seemed particularly high-strung and warned them to take this matter seriously . The fee was $ 150,000 if accomplished correctly and if they had left no mark or evidence that they had ever been there . The particularly high payment raised a suspicion with Aya , but he chose to ignore it the moment Manx informed them of the Schwarz's coming .  
  
" You have to steal two sacred scrolls of immeasurable value before the Schwarz are able to obtain it , or before the owners are able to ship it to Europe. Apparently , these scrolls contain the rites of passage of some sort and is written in ancient Slavic language . So far what has been written there has not been decoded , and only the information that these scrolls contain very dangerous records of a sort . It is imperative that you get these scrolls . White Knights , hunt the beasts of darkness !" Persia's silhouette disappeared from the screen to be replaced by total darkness . The basement lights glared open and Manx handed them each a folder . " Oh , and by the way , Siberian is wide awake . Kritiker has taken over the hospital ." she said , before leaving them to their own devices .  
  
Omi was immediately latched on to his computer , searching for additional information before they headed to the recon . Aya was somewhere in the apartment or in the shop , while Yohji was on the phone , talking to the one of the doctors .  
  
Now that Kritiker was in control , information about Ken was bound to flow more liberally , and he found out that had . They had said that they were going to keep him there for a couple of days at the most . After all , Ken did not show any signs of physical breakdown so despite any protests from the hospital or its staff , they would not be able to detain him further and would be forced to release him despite their reluctance . Of course Kritiker had assigned its own doctors to examine their brown-haired operative , but up until that very moment had found nothing even with the help of the vast knowledge their network held . Once the hospital unconfined him , they would move him to their private research facility where the equipment would be more advanced , and if until then they would find no clue as to what unnatural metamorphosis was happening to the operative they called Siberian , they promised to dismiss him as one of nature's bizarre wonders . Of course they will encourage him … or rather , order him to alter his appearance to the way it was before , but at least Yohji was sure that his friend will come back to them safely . Certainly he was glad to find out that despite all the horrors they had *seen* [ ? ] a few days back , nothing was wrong with Kenken .  
  
With a small sigh , he returned the phone to its cradle and walked back to the basement . It was as if a huge weight had been lifted off his shoulders .  
  
The basement was in total darkness , except for the glowing screen of Omi's computer . He noted the younger blond typing with alacrity as symbols and words climbed up the screen rapidly . The sharp hiss of metal warned him of Aya's presence . The redhead was sitting in the shadows , polishing his sword with a slick black cloth . Yohji sighed once more as he sat down on a leather couch to check his own gear . After all , they were a man short and every little thing could go terribly wrong . As he used to say , it's better to be safe than dead .  
  
+ + +  
  
Crawford was typing the final few papers before the mission . He stared at the folder in hand . It seemed easy enough , suspicious though as it seemed , he expected it to go without a hitch . He paused , his right hand poised over the keyboard , and wondered who this mysterious employer was . Apparently , from what Schuldich had gathered , this person contacted Estet on a secure line and asked for the Schwarz's services , that same day , the secretive one had sent the organization a considerable sum of money in American dollars and resources , (most probably illegal ones , like Black Market equipment) to persuade them .  
  
According to instructions , they were to infiltrate a heavily guarded building outside the city , steal several scrolls a hundred or so years old , get out and leave them in an old abandoned warehouse where they will be claimed .  
  
He stared at the screen before him , trying to reclaim his lost train of thoughts and proceeded to type once more . " Furthermore , we confirm to have received the blueprints of the structure and have started studying them the moment they had arrived . We shall be outside the premises and ready in 2200 hours ." He leaned back on his seat , tossing the folder onto the table and rubbing his cobalt eyes under his glasses . He heard the almost inaudible creak of the door and turned his head to find Schuldich standing behind him wearing a slight smirk.  
  
" It's time ." The redhead announced .  
  
+ + +  
  
The Priestess visited him once more , training gold-flecked eyes at the sleeping figure upon the bed . She no longer had to cast spells on him as she had done before . After all , the cycle was almost completed , the scrolls were the final prerequisite before the beautiful creature in front of her fulfilled the prophecy . The Priestess was mesmerized by his immense beauty , as she had been a millennium ago with the Master . Truly , with Him , the Master had found rebirth … for his radiance was unequaled by any mortal creature on earth .  
  
The blood-red glow of the pendant upon her neck caused her to shiver in anticipation . The sacred scrolls had been found ! With a last look at him , she flew into the night , her golden mantle billowing behind her as the waxing moon guided her .  
  
+ + +  
  
" Abyssinian , what is your status ?" static crackled to life as Omi's soft voce patched though the communicator .  
  
" In position and waiting for your signal ."  
  
" Balinese , what is your status ?"  
  
" Right where I'm supposed to be and ready to go ."  
  
Omi heard the soft twang as the eldest WeiB pulled his wire taut . " Synchronize, we move in … in ten seconds , nine , eight , seven …"  
  
+ + +  
  
How are you finding it so far ? I hope I didn't leave you hanging too much there . Thank you's to everyone who has ever reviewed this fic ! *huggles* . ^^; REVIEW PLEASE !!!! ^.^ and any suggestions ? 


	6. Aftermath

There ya go ! On it's sixth chapter huh ? Oh … I hope this doesn't reach chapter 40's like the other fics . No ! I'm just kidding ! I shall avoid that as much as possible … I know it's hard to follow when it's too long … depending on if the story's good . ^-^ . Anyway, the "supernatural" category should work on this little fic soon … another chapter , another night and things will be working as I planned . ^^; Thanks to everyone who has reviewed my fic ! Thankfully , I haven't gotten any flames yet so far . Oh , and ignore the typos please … I post my fic as soon as get them saved in my p.c. and I haven't got time to edit them … well , nobody else does it for me , what's a girl to do ? ^.^  
  
+ + +  
  
  
  
" Crawford , they're outside the building ." Schuldich muttered to his bespectacled companion . The Schwarz were in fact already inside the building and according to their memory of the layout of the structure , they almost neared the " library " , which held the scrolls .  
  
The older man dismissed his warning with a flick of his wrist . Schuldich rolled his eyes and glanced around at the unconscious , or worse , dead soldiers who had dared gone their way and wondered how the WeiB would react to the carnage . He grinned at that . They probably wouldn't take it too nicely .  
  
Crawford lead the way to the "library" where the scrolls were allegedly stored , his gun drawn and unlocked . At that moment , two men similarly dressed as their companions came in to view , an uzi fitted with a silencer held by each of them . Without giving them a moment to blink , the clairvoyant shot them down .  
  
" Nice shot ." Schuldich commented .  
  
" I've been practicing my shooting ." Crawford gave a small nod to Nagi and suddenly the door burst into a thousand tiny wooden shards , sharp enough to wound a man . The American gave the youngest Schwarz an approving look before he entered the room , flanked by the other Schwarz members .  
  
+ + +  
  
" Balinese here . Have found the entrance and will approach with caution ." Yohji wrinkled his nose as he viewed the small hole , which will serve as his entrance to the building . Really , he always got the crappiest stuff . " I hate my job ." He muttered .  
  
" Repeat what you said Balinese , I didn't catch it ."  
  
Yohji sighed and rolled his eyes under dark sunglasses as he crawled into what he thought was a rat-infested crypt . " Nothing Bombay , I was just … musing to myself ."  
  
" Confirmed ."  
  
Damn . Sometimes that kid was just too professional .  
  
He inched along the narrow shaft holding a small penlight in his right hand . It was a bit too narrow for his taste , and barely had enough space to crawl . With no other choice , the dismayed blonde was forced to lie down on his belly and snake down the ventilation duct . In addition to the meager space , the air smelled a bit musty , like rotting books . Thankfully though , he didn't see any rats .  
  
The first ten feet was continuous , with no twists and interruptions , until the twelfth feet . There , the duct forked into two . " Bombay ." He whispered into the communicator on his wrist . " There are two shafts in front of me ."  
  
" Go through the left vent . At twenty feet , you'll be exactly above the room , which holds the scrolls . There will be a removable top . Stand by , we're almost there ."  
  
+ + +  
  
Omi ran through the halls with all the caution he could muster . The Schwarz didn't take any prisoners . He grimaced at all the soldiers lying in pools of their own blood and crossed himself . He nodded at Aya who had come from the opposite direction . Omi knew they had no chance in a frontal attack , the Schwarz had abilities while they had not . Another thing was they were one man short . But maybe , just maybe , with the element of surprise , they could make it .  
  
They burst into the room just as Yohji flew from the ventilation duct above .  
  
The Schwarz were anything but surprised and they calmly dodged attacks while making none of their own . Their orders had been to make a clean and swift getaway , and although they were loathe to admit it , fighting WeiB was enough to delay them, even for a little while . Of course , once or twice , Farfarello could not resist and Yohji had gotten several cuts from the Irishman's knife .  
  
During the brief but heated battle between the three members of each team , Crawford was busy locating the two metal tubes which held the scrolls . According to his premonition , they were supposed to be … " Here ." He thought to himself as he raised them from an otherwise empty rack . " Entkommen ." He said out loud .  
  
All three members of the Schwarz made one final attack to each of his own opponent .  
  
Farfarello thrust his knife at the already bruised and wounded Balinese and the latter screamed in agony as the knife buried itself deep into his arm . He collapsed in sheer pain , his mind reeling in anguish as he clutched his wounded arm .  
  
Omi had started to rush towards his fallen teammate but was swept off his feet and hurled against the wall by Nagi's force . Books of all sizes rained over the poor child . His head lolled to side as he was rendered unconscious .  
  
Aya was still engaged in battle with Schuldich , but the German maintained his distance , knowing full well that Abyssinian's katana was useless in long – range combat … unlike his gun . His gun mad a loud click and he let loose a shot intended for Aya's head . The deafening report of his gun echoed throughout the room as they made their swift exit .  
  
It was a few moments later that Aya regained his bearings . He glanced at the bullet embedded in the cream-colored wall as he sprang to his feet . He ran to the door , but the Schwarz were long gone , leaving him cursing in their wake .  
  
+ + +  
  
The scrolls are near … she felt it … the Master's power is great and it was calling out to her , shouting her name … She gave a white-toothed grin . Yes , soon the Chosen One will be the new Master with the help of the scrolls … and they will once more rule the land as they had eons ago … The Priestess watched as the tall man placed two metal objects on the ground . In a few moments , she will have the power to restore the Master to his throne … and he will be grateful to her… he will be very grateful …  
  
  
  
Crawford carefully placed the steel cylinders on the floor in the middle of the abandoned warehouse . He felt as if someone – or something was watching his every move . Without another word , he left with his team … He didn't want anything more to do with those confounded scrolls … there just was too many visions even he himself could not understand . Every time he placed his hands on the cold metal , a dark fear crept into his soul , ravaging everything he believed in . Despite himself , Crawford shivered involuntarily .  
  
+ + +  
  
There ya go ! I finished another chapter ! Yay ! I'm so happy ! ^.^ Anyway , please . please review ! I'm eager to please ya know ! ^^; 


	7. Changes

Chapter seven … by chapter eight , Ken should be out of the hospital ne ? I really like Yohji here … in fact , after Ken , I like Yohji best ^^, which is why I put a lot of scenes here with him in it . ^.^  
  
  
  
+ + +  
  
The WeiB were being debriefed the same time their wounds were assessed by professional Kritiker doctors .  
  
Yohji bore the majority of the injuries , acquiring several bruises , cuts, a minor concussion and his arm raised in a sling . He had been inclined to take a couple or so painkillers an hour to dissipate the pain . " Damn them ."  
  
He stole a glance at the other two who were at the moment being tended by Manx's doctors , and stabbed the ashtray with the butt of his used cigarette . " I'm going for a walk ." He announced , before he disappeared from their view and strode out into the dark , silent streets .  
  
+ + +  
  
Yohji's convertible flew out into the highway , streetlights reflecting on the hood of his shiny car . He had to keep from smoking , on account of the fact that his other arm was useless at that moment , and it drove him mad with frustration .  
  
Finally, the black car came to a screeching halt in front of the hospital. Yohji was intent on not letting anyone stop him , and using the skills of a Kritiker operative , or rather , as a WeiB , he reached Ken's floor without any trouble .  
  
+ + +  
  
Ken woke up suddenly … someone was in his room … he could feel it ! He sat up on his bed and squinted in the dark , his fist raised up in a defense position as he discerned the dark silhouette standing on his doorway …  
  
" Yohji ?" He called out as he recognized the blond . There came a soft chuckle .  
  
" Hey kid ! How the hell did you know it was me ? It's pitch black in here !"  
  
Ken grinned . " There's a light switch behind you . If you came here more often , you'd learn that ."  
  
The room was suddenly flooded with bright fluorescent light as the older WeiB closed the door softly behind him . " If I could , I would , kid . But as it turned out , Manx can be more of a bitch than I expected … and Aya too . Well , I'm here now aren't I ?" Yohji fumbled with his cigarettes .  
  
" Narrow escape , huh ?" Ken commented , eyeing his arm . " So , who beat you up ?"  
  
" Oh , no one . Just some Irish psycho . I'll screw him the next time we meet ."  
  
Ken stared at him incredulously . " I can't believe this ! You faced Schwarz without me ! You were one goddamned man short and you still had the guts to go there ?! Damn it Yohji ! What if you guys had been killed ?! How do you expect me to forgive all of you for leaving me behind ?!"  
  
Yohji puffed his cigarette and moved lazily beside Ken . " Hey , it wasn't my idea . Well , we didn't get killed . Would I be talking to you right now if we had been ? Anyway , Aya and Omi are fine . It's just that bloody mad freak banged me up a little … don't worry about me . I got a few lives up my sleeve … what's left of it anyway ." He ruffled the brunette's hair affectionately and winked as he sat down on the plastic chair beside the bed . Ken was sitting on the edge of his bed now, examining his comrade with a concerned eye .  
  
" Well , enough about me . How're you holding out , kid ? Have you gotten a taste of the infamous crappy hospital food ?"  
  
A grin . " Yeah … I dunno what they put in those things ! Hey , isn't Aya going to bust your ass for going here without his permission ?"  
  
Yohji snorted amusedly , tipping the ash on the white linoleum floor .  
  
" He knows I was going here ." The former detective stretched languidly and leaned back against the chair . " Hey kid , you look a helluva lot different the last time I saw you ? Are you going to a punk concert or something ? Aya won't be too happy when he sees you like that . He'll make you cut your hair and take off your contacts ."  
  
Ken laughed good-naturedly , kicking Yohji playfully on the shin with his toe . " I am not wearing contacts . I don't like having long hair , and I did not bleach it ! I'm going to cut it the first chance I get , and I'll wear contacts the moment I bust out of this place . To tell you the truth , I'm kinda creeped out 'bout how I look right now … but the doctor's say there's nothing wrong with me … maybe some kind of mutation or something they said … and boy , do I not like the sound of that !"  
  
" Don't worry , we're going to have you out of here in a couple of days. Just hang on and don't let anyone poison you with the crappy food . Here , I brought you some strawberry pocky , got it straight from Omi's sock drawer . The kid won't be too happy with me when he finds out . He'll probably smack me around for all eternity ."  
  
Ken burst into convulsive laughter as he took the package from Yohji , his eyes tearing up in pleasure at the older one's mischief .  
  
" Well , I'd better go kid . I'm a little worn and this thing is starting to hurt like hell . We'll swing by here tomorrow . God willing , and Aya not a bloody grouch – you'll probably have half of the fangirl population chewing your arm out …"  
  
" Hey , have someone look at that will you ? – and Yotan , thanks for coming over , I appreciate it ."  
  
" Will do … g'night kid ." and the door closed behind him .  
  
+ + +  
  
Ken smilingly closed his eyes , heaving a deep , satisfied sigh . " Oh bugger …" He muttered irritatedly , realizing that the lights were still bearing down on him . " I should have borrowed his sunglasses ." With a sigh , he padded barefoot and switched of the lights . Just as he was walking back to his bed , a vivid gleam caught his eye , and in the darkness , he could make out clearly a silver ring perched on the window ledge . Without hesitating , the former soccer player took it in his hand and started to examine the heavily ornamented band .  
  
The main stone was a luminous ruby , half the size of a penny . On either sides , embedded on the heavy silver were tiny , finely crafted bloodstones . The thing was , there was a faint glow coming from the ruby , like thick blood-red fog churning restlessly in an intangible breeze , and he could not help but slowly slip it onto his finger .  
  
~~~***~~~  
  
He was sitting on his throne , fingering his ring on his left hand . Yes , no one could harm him , while he had possession of the ring . He need not be afraid of no one … Not even the mortals' most powerful can hurt him . The Lord of Darkness himself ascended from his fiery kingdom and gave him the rind and not a force on earth can destroy it . The Master turned crimson eyes to the young man on his right . " Are you feeling all right , Sasha ?"  
  
" Yes , of course . There is no need to worry about me ."  
  
" But of course I do . You are my greatest friend Sasha . I love you like a brother ."  
  
A deep sigh . " I swear to you , I am not ill . Thank you for your concern ."  
  
" If you say so ."  
  
~~~***~~~  
  
  
  
+ + +  
  
  
  
Dr. Akagi was very early . She had better get started for the day , because the office had told her that the patient she was interested in , Mr. Hidaka was going to be released tomorrow , no matter what they do to detain him . So unless she found credible evidence that it was a disease the patient is experiencing , and not a … genetic mutation , she would never have an opportunity to examine him for long . After all , whom he was working for had a substantial pull on the authorities in town , and not even a highly renowned doctor like herself would be able to stop him . The prospect was unappealing . The poor kid could inadvertently spread a plague all over the country if this … " disease " was communicable …  
  
But she did not shoe signs of infection herself , and she had been in contact unprotected with him for what ? 6 … 7 days ? She sighed and studied the scribbles on her clipboard . It was her observations for the past week , and he had shown remarkable differences every day .  
  
  
  
The subject has not shown any signs of breakdown – physical , mental or emotional . Eye color had not changed since day three , they continue to remain a dark shade of red . Can see impeccably in the dark . Pupils dilate in the dark and contract in light , resembling the abilities of a cat . Hair color has changed . The first day was hazel brown . Dark brown . The second day , it had already changed into dark blond . Third day , it had become a lighter shade of yellow . And after that , it had turned completely white . Texture of hair remains the same however . His hair had also grown quickly . It is very long , almost waist-length in fact . Skin had become more sensitive to light , minor exposure to sunlight and the subject acquires burns immediately on the unprotected skin .  
  
There was a knock on the door . " Dr. Akagi ? The patient is already awake ."  
  
+ + +  
  
  
  
There , finished . I wasn't able to post for the past few days since I hadn't been able to access ff.net . I dunno why . It was probably down , or something is nutting my server . Well , anyway , here I post two chapters to please all of those nice people reading this . PLEASE REVIEW !!!! ^^; thanks ! 


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